Van Cleef & Arpels continues to explore the Poetry Of Time with two beautiful pieces that showcase both day and night, with the Lady Arpels Jour Nuit and the Lady Jour Nuit timeless pieces.
Blending high watchmaking and artisanal craftsmanship, Van Cleef & Arpels pays tribute to their rich heritage and unique craftsmanship with two new releases at Watches & Wonders 2024. Core to these pieces is the art of storytelling, and like their Poetic Complications before, the new Lady Arpels and Lady Jour Nuit (Day Night in French) pieces pay tribute to métiers d’art, something that is close to the heart of President and CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels, Nicolas Bos, who comments:
“Craftsmanship has lain at the heart of our every initiative for more than a century at Van Cleef & Arpels. It defines our jewelry and High Jewelry creations, where we perfect traditional techniques while also incorporating innovations.”
Van Cleef & Arpels has dedicated two size variants to the Jour Nuit timepieces. A 33mm Lady and a 38mm Lady Arpels which in turn has the option of an Aligator strap or diamond set bracelet, giving these pieces a striking look and one that will create a conversation where you go.
Each piece took three years in development to obtain the exact look and mechanical mastery that Van Cleef & Arpels is known for, and has resulted in an in-house movement featuring a 24-hour rotating disc module developed by Van Cleef & Arpels, gradually transforms the decor on the dial throughout the day. This is what gives life to the storytelling elements, the celestial ballet that occurs as the moon chases the sun and the sun chases the moon across the sky every day.
Much of the mastery and brilliance of these pieces lies in the small details on the dial of both the Lady Arpels and Lady Jour Nuit pieces. The top layer features a Mother-Of-Pearl shroud, which is done in a pearl white on the 38mm Lady Arpels piece, and a painted blue on the 33mm Lady, both of which have a guilloché pattern giving it depth and representing the horizon.
Laing just behind the horizon is the sky with the stars, moon, and sun embedded, tracking across the dial over a 24 hour period. The dial is made from Murano Adventurine Glass, which is a meticulous process in itself due to the way Van Cleef & Arpels envisioned the night sky. It’s first heated to 2,192°F (1,200 °C), and thanks to the presence of ore in a crucible, the glass takes on a sparkling deep blue color which gives the dial its deep starry sky effect. The crucible is then left to cool before the glass can be taken out and broken, a process that takes a month in total. Once broken apart, the glass is then cut carefully to create the dials. You can see parts of this process below.
From the crucible 
Raw Adventurine Glass 
Finished dial
Embedded in the Adventurine Glass dial are the sun and moon. On the 38mm Lady Arpels and the 33m Lady, the moon is diamond set. On the 38mm, you will find snow-set yellow sapphires for the sun, and on the 33mm version, a gold Guilloché disc representing the sun.
On the back, Van Cleef & Arpels makes sure that the magic and storytelling isn’t just for the front of the watch. The oscillating rotor can be seen through the sapphire crystal. On the rotor, a polished sky with stars and two shooting stars is visible. Viewing this through the window is a fairy, decorated using the enamel decal technique, gazing at the never-ending ballet of the planets.
Our Thoughts
Van Cleef & Arpels are watches that are on another level. Their ability to blend old-world craftsmanship when it comes to enameling and jewel settings, combined with high complications that animate and tell a story are second to none. They bring justice to the phrase “Poetry Of Time” as that is what their pieces are – time telling machines that come alive and give the wearer a beautiful story.
These new 33mm and 38mm pieces, the Lady Jour Nuit and Lady Arpels Jour Nuit are no exception. The blend of the adventure glass set with the stars and sun make for a magnificent backdrop to the dial and the mother-of-pearl horizon adds depth to make you believe you’re looking at an evening sky show behind it. The diamond set case and crown, not to mention the bracelet is something else to see in person, and yes, these pieces are not for everyone (nor will their price be) but they are the epitome of luxury and elegance on the wrist, should you be lucky enough to wear one!
Reference: Lady Arpels and Lady Jour Nuit
Specification:
- Size: 33 mm or 38mm
- Case Material: 18k white gold with diamond set bezel, sides and crown with approx 308 stones, 5.91 carats
- Case back: 18k white gold with sapphire case back and decorative enamel
- Dial: Dial in aventurine glass, mother-of-pearl, white gold, yellow gold (33mm), diamonds, yellow sapphires (38mm)
- Crystal: Sapphire crystal, anti-reflective on both sides
- Water resistance: 30m / 3 bar
- Movement: Self-winding mechanical movement, equipped with a Valfleurier 24 hour Day/Night module
- Power reserve: Approximately 60 hours
- Strap: Self-interchangeable alligator leather bracelet or diamond set 18k white gold bracelet
